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The Log • May 20 - June 2, 2016 • 3 Oceanside City Council set to vote on human powered crafts


Prohibition on kayaks and other personal watercraft could be lifted.


By Parimal M. Rohit


OCEANSIDE — Kayakers and standup paddleboard (SUP) users earned a tiny victory on April 18 when the Oceanside Harbor and Beaches Advisory Committee adopted proposed lan- guage and modifi cations to reverse a prohibition against personal watercraft (PWC). The committee’s decision will head to the Oceanside City Council, where the city’s elected leaders will deliberate whether the PWC prohibi- tion should actually be lifted. Current city law specifi cally pro- hibits all human powered vessels in Oceanside Harbor, though the city could grant waivers to temporarily circumvent the prohibition. If PWCs are ultimately allowed in the harbor by the City Council then users of dinghies, infl atable boats, out- rigger canoes, kayaks, SUPs and surf skis would be able to navigate through the harbor’s main entrance and chan- nel so long as they honored rights-of- way of powerboats and sailboats. “All human powered vessels autho-


rized in the harbor pursuant to this [ordinance] shall give way, yield the right of way, and keep completely clear


of all other non-human powered vessels, including both sail and powerboats,” the proposed ordinance amendment reads. Oceanside Harbor


Director Paul C. Lawrence said PWCs are a reality in any waterfront venue and users of kayaks, SUPS or similar craft should not be prohibited from a public area. “We’re actually saying


it’s okay,” Lawrence said, adding PWCs are not going to be treated as vessels. All human-powered


Standup paddleboards will not be prohibited from paddling in Oceanside Harbor’s main entrance or channel if city offi cials approve the reversal of a ban against human powered watercraft in the harbor.


craft users must steer clear of navigational channels and give right of way to sailboats, pow- erboats, and other similar vessels. “They have an obligation to stay


clear,” Lawrence said. Certain items will not be part of


the PWC defi nition and, accordingly, would not be allowed in the harbor. Those items include fl oat tubes, fi sh- ing fl oat tubes, air mattresses, fl oating chairs, and similar single vent devices. Lawrence said these items have been found within the harbor in the past and cannot be maneuvered to steer clear of larger vessels, hence posing a safety hazard.


The issue will soon head to the City


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Council for a fi nal decision but has already been deliberated extensively by the Oceanside Harbor and Beaches Advisory Committee (HBAC). Committee members acknowledged


enforcement of current prohibitions against PWCs and human-powered craft have been lax and seeing kayaks or standup paddleboards navigating through the harbor is a common sight. Having a law on the books permit-


ting PWC use could actually make it easier to promote safety and prevent or better address collisions between human-powered crafts and sail or powerboats.


At least one HBAC member – Les


George – previously told The Log he hoped kayakers, SUP users and others would be required to undergo an edu- cational requirement before navigating through Oceanside Harbor. George said he was okay with users of human- powered craft to exist in the harbor so long as safety was maintained as a top priority.


A water education program was developed in Santa Barbara to inform kayakers and standup paddleboard users how to safely navigate through the local harbor and co-exist with pow- erboats and sailboats.


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